The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has today announced an inquiry into future flood prevention in England following severe flooding this winter.
Launching the inquiry, Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Committee commented:
‘Flood damage of the sort suffered by communities across the UK this winter is becoming all-too-frequent an occurrence. I know from personal experience how flooding can damage not only buildings, land and infrastructure, but how it can also devastate lives.”
“Questions need to be answered about whether there are adequate measures in place to plan for frequent, extreme flood events. We want to see how effectively the Environment Agency predicts and prepares for floods in a changing climate. We will also be asking how far Defra policies protect communities in high risk areas from future devastation.’
According to the EFRA Committee, this winter's flooding has affected many communities across the UK, costing more than £5 billion and disrupting thousands of peoples’ lives and businesses. Record rainfall was recorded in some areas and the consequent floods overwhelmed defences.
The Committee is now inviting written evidence on four key topics:
- Predicting the future: Are the Environment Agency and Met Office models that predict rainfall patterns and the likelihood of future floods fit for purpose – and do they correctly calculate the costs of future flooding to communities.
- Protecting communities and infrastructure: How adequately do defences protect communities and agricultural land from floods and do current funding arrangements target spending in the right way?
- Managing water flows: How effectively do Defra and the Environment Agency’s policies encourage innovative approaches to managing risk such as slowing the flow of water in urban and rural river catchment areas and promoting water storage?
- Planning for floods: How well do planning policies ensure new buildings are not put in areas of high flood risk nor where they would increase risk to others – and how well do new developments incorporate sustainable drainage and flood-resilient buildings?
In addition, the Committee will also look at flood insurance as part of the inquiry. With the new Flood Re scheme coming into operation in April, written evidence is also being sought on how accessible and affordable flood insurance will be for businesses, as well as householders covered by the scheme.
The deadline for submissions is noon on 15 March 2016.
Click here for more information on the Environment Agency’s major three-day conference and exhibition Flood and Coast 2016 which takes place from 23rd to 25th February 2016 in Telford.
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